Results tagged ‘ Luis Jimenez ’
Game 29: Orioles-Angels …
Orioles (17-12)
Nolan Reimold, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Nick Markakis, RF
Adam Jones, CF
Chris Davis, 1B
Matt Wieters, C
J.J. Hardy, SS
Steve Pearce, DH
Alexi Casilla, 2B
SP: RH Miguel Gonzalez (2-1, 4.60 ERA)
Angels (10-18)
Erick Aybar, SS
Mike Trout, CF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Mark Trumbo, RF
Josh Hamilton, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Chris Iannetta, C
J.B. Shuck, LF
SP: LH Jason Vargas (0-3, 4.85)
- As you might have noticed, Callaspo was activated off the disabled prior to Friday’s game. But going down was Andrew Romine, not Luis Jimenez. Mike Scioscia likes having a power right-handed bat off the bench like Jimenez — it’s essentially the role Bill Hall was going to play, before he got hurt in Spring Training — and he feels Brendan Harris can be used as a utility infielder. A big question with this decision, however, is Harris’ defense. It’s not his strong suit. Offense is. Romine was a much more capable defender. And maybe Jimenez would’ve benefited from some more at-bats in the Minors to polish up his approach, which has led to a lot of strikeouts at this level.
- In tune with his new role, Jimenez was getting some work in left field pregame. Scioscia said right now he’s only comfortable using Jimenez there in an “emergency” situation, but perhaps that can change if he gets better at it.
- Garrett Richards is going back to the bullpen, with Jerome Williams taking his spot in the rotation on Sunday. The move makes sense on a couple of fronts. First and foremost, the Angels need a relief pitcher to bridge the gap to the later innings, and Richards can do that in what he said is “a primary role” in the back end. Williams has struggled as a starting pitcher in recent outings, but he’s been really good in long relief lately.
- Sean Burnett said today that he’s going to fly to Florida to see Dr. James Andrews on Monday morning. After that, he’ll fly to Houston to rejoin the team on their two-city trip. The lefty reliever, out since April 27 with left forearm irritation, didn’t sound very concerned. But it’s always frightening when pitchers see Dr. Andrews, so it’s definitely something worth monitoring.
- It looks like Scott Downs (pain in his right side) will avoid the DL. At least for now. He probably won’t be available Friday, but Scioscia is going to have him go through his normal pregame nonetheless.
- Mark Lowe (left neck strain) will pitch two innings for Class A Inland Empire on Sunday. He’s eligible to be activated that day, so that may be Lowe’s final outing before rejoining the team.
- Shortstop Tommy Field suffered a broken finger shortly after he was sent down on April 23. He’s on the 7-day Minor League DL and could miss a month.
– Alden
Minutiae from a wild, 19-inning night …
Some additional tidbits from Monday night’s 19-inning, 10-8 loss to the A’s, courtesy of the Angels’ PR department …
- At six hours and 32 minutes, it was the longest game in Angels history, surpassing the six-hour, six-minute game played on April 13, 1982 against the Mariners (20 innings).
- Innings-wise, it was the third-longest in Angels history. The Angels have played 20 innings twice, on the above-mentioned game against Seattle and July 9, 1971, against the A’s. That means two of the three 19-inning games in Angels history have been walk-off losses to the A’s.
- It was the longest MLB game since the Pirates beat the Cardinals, 6-3, in 19 innings on Aug. 19, 2012, in St. Louis; it was the longest AL game since the White Sox beat the Red Sox, 6-5, in 19 innings on July 9, 2006, in Chicago.
- The 18 runs scored were the fourth-most in 19-inning, Major League history.
- The two clubs used a combined 16 pitches (eight each) and threw a combined 597 pitches. The 297 pitches the Angels threw were the most since at least 1988.
- Howie Kendrick and Brendan Harris each went 2-for-9, becoming the second and third Angels players to log nine at-bats in a game. The first was Don Baylor, who went 5-for-9 on 4/13/82. It was the first game since 1993 to have three players (also Jed Lowrie) log nine at-bats in a game.
- Six different Angels pitchers allowed a run for the fifth time in team history, and first time since Sept. 30, 2000.
- Four players (Peter Bourjos, Luis Jimenez, Coco Crisp, Chris Young) exited early with injuries.
- Seven of the Angels’ nine position players went the full 19 innings, including catcher Chris Iannetta, who worked 18 2/3 innings behind the plate. The last American League catchers to be behind the plate for more than 18 innings in a game were A.J. Pierzynski and Jason Varitek in 2006, in a game between the White Sox and Red Sox that ended with one out in the bottom of the 19th.
– Alden
Game 26: Angels-Athletics …
The Angels’ 19-inning loss last night was a devastating one, but it was also quite memorable. It was the longest game in Angels history — A’s, too — and it witnessed several encouraging performances. Tommy Hanson pitched six innings of two-run ball with a heavy heart, Chris Iannetta squatted for 19 innings behind the plate, Mark Trumbo hit a 475-foot homer that was tied for the longest in the Majors this season, Albert Pujols had four hits, went deep twice and played the field despite having plantar fasciitis on his left foot, and Jerome Williams hurled six innings of one-run ball in relief.
Still, though, the Angels were in no mood to reminisce on Tuesday.
“I don’t feel any nostalgia towards it,” Trumbo said. “It’s all about winning, and we didn’t do it.”
Angels (9-16)
Erick Aybar, SS
Mike Trout, CF
Pujols, DH
Trumbo, 1B
Josh Hamilton, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Hank Conger, C
Brendan Harris, 3B
J.B. Shuck, LF
SP: RH Garrett Richards (1-1, 3.65 ERA)
Athletics (15-12)
John Jaso, DH
Adam Rosales, SS
Seth Smith, LF
Yoenis Cespedes, CF
Brandon Moss, 1B
Josh Donaldson, 3B
Josh Reddick, RF
Derek Norris, C
Eric Sogard, 2B
SP: RH Jarrod Parker (0-4, 8.10 ERA)
- The Angels officially placed Peter Bourjos on the disabled list today with a strained left hamstring, activating Aybar. Also, outfielder Scott Cousins had his contract purchased from Triple-A Salt Lake and Michael Roth was sent down. The Angels’ 40-man roster is back at 40, and the Angels are back to the traditional seven relievers and four-man bench — despite the fact seven relievers accounted for 12 2/3 innings the night before. “Really, we’re as banged up on the lineup side,” Mike Scioscia said.
- It looks like only Jerome Williams and Michael Kohn will be unavailable tonight. Ernesto Frieri is good to go, as are Barry Enright, Dane De La Rosa, Nick Maronde and Scott Downs.
- Luis Jimenez‘s bruised left shin is “a little tight,” Scioscia said, but he may be available to play defense. If the Angels get a lead late, don’t be surprised to see him sub in for Harris at third.
- Still no time frame on how long Bourjos’ hamstring will keep him out. Obviously, as a speed guy, he needs that to be 100 percent before returning.
- Ryan Madson is still not throwing.
- Jimenez has some experience in the outfield from winter ball, so that may be an option for him once Alberto Callaspo returns.
– Alden
Game 25: Angels-Athletics …
Tommy Hanson takes the mound today, in the opener of a three-game series, with a heavy heart, after spending six days on the bereavement list while dealing with the sudden death of his 24-year-old step-brother. The 26-year-old right-hander is happy to be back, joining his teammates and in some ways distracting himself from the sorrow that a loss in the family can cause.
“I think any time you’re doing something you have a passion for and you love, it’s therapeautic for all of us,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully it’ll help Tommy get through some of the things he’s dealing with in his personal life and come out here and move forward.”
Angels (9-15)
Peter Bourjos, CF
Mike Trout, LF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Josh Hamilton, RF
Mark Trumbo, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Brendan Harris, SS
Chris Iannetta, C
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: Hanson (2-1, 4.24 ERA)
Athletics (14-12)
Coco Crisp, CF
Seth Smith, DH
Jed Lowrie, SS
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Brandon Moss, 1B
Josh Donaldson, 3B
John Jaso, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Eric Sogard, 2B
SP: RH Dan Straily (1-0, 2.70 ERA)
- Erick Aybar (bruised left heel) is slated to play for Triple-A Salt Lake today, while Alberto Callaspo (right calf strain) and Mark Lowe (left neck strain) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Inland Empire on Tuesday. If all goes well, I’d expect Aybar and Callaspo to both be back for the weekend home series against the Orioles.
- Scioscia said he’d probably hit Aybar lower in the lineup initially, and was non-committal about whether he’d replace Bourjos in the leadoff spot.
- The Angels’ skipper has thought about putting Trumbo in the cleanup spot on a more frequent basis, instead of just against left-handed starters, but prefers to stay with that platoon for now — even though Hamilton continues to struggle and the Angels have seen seven straight right-handed starters (lefty Tommy Milone will start tomorrow).
- The 7 o’clock Angels games on Tuesday and Friday will be broadcast on KCOP.
– Alden
Game 22: Angels-Mariners …
Angels (8-13)
Peter Bourjos, CF
Mike Trout, LF
Albert Pujols, 11B
Josh Hamilton, DH
Mark Trumbo, RF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Brendan Harris, SS
Hank Conger, C
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: LH C.J. Wilson (1-0, 4.13 ERA)
Mariners (9-15)
Jason Bay, LF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Michael Morse, RF
Justin Smoak, 1B
Kelly Shoppach, C
Robert Andino, 2B
Endy Chavez, CF
Brendan Ryan, SS
SP: RH Aaron Harang (0-2, 10.24 ERA)
- It’s been a week since Ryan Madson threw his last sim game in Anaheim, and another one is still not scheduled. He’s in Arizona still, rehabbing, but Mike Scioscia didn’t want to call his last-Friday sim game a setback. “He wasn’t set back for any other reason than normal rehab and trying to get over the final hump. That’s what rehab is. At times you’re going to take a step forward, at times you’re going to plateau. He’s certainly ready for the challenge of facing hitters.”
- Just a day for Hamilton, who’s at DH for the first time this season (and, of course, his Angels career.
- Speaking of DH … Erick Aybar did that in his second game of extended spring training in Arizona, but Scioscia said he also ran well and that his left heel “felt great” as the day went on. He’ll most likely play the field again on Saturday, but Scioscia was non-committal when asked if he’d be available in Oakland early next week.
- Pujols is tied with Giancarlo Stanton for the biggest drop of pitches seen inside the strike zone from 2012 to ’13 (h/t Fan Graphs). The interesting thing about that is Stanton has the likes of Greg Dobbs and Placido Polanco hitting behind him; Pujols has Hamilton — signed to a five-year, $125 million contract, but currently struggling.
- Wilson is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last seven starts against the Mariners.
– Alden
Game 21: Angels-Mariners …
Angels (8-12)
Peter Bourjos, CF
Mike Trout, LF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Josh Hamilton, RF
Mark Trumbo, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Brendan Harris, SS
Chris Iannetta, C
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: RH Garrett Richards (1-0, 2.55 ERA)
Mariners (8-15)
Endy Chavez, CF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Justin Smoak, 1B
Dustin Ackley, 2B
Kelly Shoppach, C
Carlos Peguero, RF
Jason Bay, LF
Robert Andino, SS
SP: RH Brandon Maurer (1-3, 7.45 ERA)
- Pujols, in case you didn’t notice, is playing first base today for the first time since April 15. He’s started seven straight games at DH, including nine of his last 10. The plantar fasciitis on his left foot, he said, is no better and no worse. But he doesn’t feel like it would bother him too much playing defense. He hopes to start three of the four games of this series there, then Monday and Tuesday against Oakland.
- Seeking some length in the bullpen, with Michael Roth and Jerome Williams both knocked out, the Angels called up Barry Enright, who has been struggling mightily in Triple-A. He’ll serve as a long reliever.
- Sean Burnett (right forearm) is good to go. He was ready on Wednesday, if needed. But the game got out of hand in a hurry.
- Tommy Hanson is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the team on Monday and start that game — the series opener against the A’s.
- Erick Aybar (left heel) played five innings in extended Spring Training today and will be re-evaluated tomorrow. No word yet on when he can be back.
- Alberto Callaspo has progressed towards during sprints, but his right calf is still bothering him when he moves side to side. He isn’t expected to return from the DL on this road trip.
- Right-handed reliever Elvin Ramirez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake, clearing a spot on the Angels’ 40-man roster (now at 39).
– Alden
Game 19: Rangers-Angels …
Rangers (13-6)
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Elvis Andrus, SS
Lance Berkman, DH
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Nelson Cruz, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Jeff Baker, LF
Craig Gentry, CF
Mitch Moreland, 1B
SP: RH Alexi Ogando (2-1, 3.32 ERA)
Angels (7-11)
Peter Bourjos, CF
Mike Trout, LF
Albert Pujols, DH
Josh Hamilton, RF
Mark Trumbo, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Brendan Harris, SS
Chris Iannetta, C
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: LH Jason Vargas (0-2, 6.75 ERA)
- Yet another new face has graced the Angels’ bullpen. On Tuesday, lefty Nick Maronde was called up from Double-A Arkansas, with shortstop Tommy Field getting optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and the Angels going with a three-man bench. The reason? Lefty Sean Burnett is currently sidelined with some tightness in his forearm, which he chalks up as part of the recovery from the removal of bone spurs in his elbow. It’s a day-to-day situation, but the Angels need as many healthy arms as possible in the ‘pen. That’s five new faces in two weeks (Maronde, Michael Roth, Dane De La Rosa, Michael Kohn and David Carpenter). The Angels now have four lefty relievers. There were times when Mike Scioscia didn’t have any.
- Erick Aybar will go with the team to Seattle, but won’t be activated off the disabled list on Thursday, as he said he was shooting for on Monday. Mike Scioscia wants Aybar to get a couple days in extended Spring Training in order to work on his prep step, since the left heel could be sensitive to playing shortstop.
- Jerome Williams still looks likely to make the start on Wednesday against the Rangers, but it isn’t official. Scioscia is waiting until postgame, just in case he has to use them. Lifetime against Texas, Williams has a 7.34 ERA. “I’m not worried about their lineup,” he said. “I’m worried about what I’m doing out there.”
- Alberto Callaspo (right calf strain) is “still not quite where you’d want him to be,” Scioscia said, but added that “there’s a probability he’ll be ready over the weekend.” Callaspo is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday.
– Alden
Exploring the Angels’ options with Jimenez …
So, what will the Angels do with Luis Jimenez once Alberto Callaspo comes back?
Since his call-up, Jimenez (you can call him “Lucho”) has built somewhat of a cult following and has sparked the Angels, batting .355 while playing a much-improved defense at third base. Callaspo has been out since April 11 because of a right calf strain. He isn’t eligible to return until Saturday, and my guess is he’ll come back shortly after that (he basically just needs to be cleared to run).
When that does happen, what do the Angels do with Jimenez? Here’s a look at their options, under the assumption that shortstop Erick Aybar is already back on the roster by the time Callaspo comes back …
Keep him as the starting third baseman: Simply put, the Angels know who Jimenez is, and they like what Callaspo gives them. That’s why they signed Callaspo thru 2014 in the offseason, even though Jimenez was coming off a solid year in Triple-A. To go back on that three weeks into the season would be a bit of a knee-jerk, I’d say. But if Jimenez does keep the starting job, Callaspo could be a serviceable pinch-hitter off the bench because he’s a switch-hitter and he’s patient. He’d also be a nice late-game defensive replacement at the hot corner. But don’t get any thoughts of Maicer Izturis in your head. Callaspo certainly can’t handle shortstop, and I’m not sure how serviceable he can be at second base at this point (he’s played 12 games there since 2009).
For what it’s worth, Mike Scioscia gave Callaspo a ringing endorsement on Sunday, saying: “Alberto’s huge for our team – very important. He’s the type of guy that if Lucho wasn’t stepping up and playing so well, you’d really be pointing to him and saying how much we miss Alberto. And we need him back, for sure.”
Bring Jimenez off the bench: The positive is that he’d give the Angels some much needed power off the bench; the negative is that Jimenez isn’t all that versatile. He started to learn first base this spring, but that’s really all he plays. It’d be nice to have a right-handed bat off the bench capable of driving the ball, but how well would the 24-year-old Jimenez handle being a pinch-hitter. Young players like him don’t have any experience doing it. Keeping Jimenez would bring another tough decision for Scioscia, regarding sending down Brendan Harris or Andrew Romine. Harris has the better bat, Romine has the better glove.
Send Jimenez down to the Minors: This one would just feel, well, wrong. The sample size is still awfully small, but Jimenez has been a really nice spark for this team, not only with the bat, but with his energy and the way he carries himself. He just seems like he belongs here. If he keeps hitting, could the Angels really justify sending him back to Triple-A? Do they need both Harris and Romine off the bench, or could one do in order to keep Jimenez on the roster? It’s a question that may need an answer relatively soon.
– Alden
Game 18: Rangers-Angels …
Series No. 2 between the bitter AL West rivals, with both teams coming off weekend sweeps (the Angels over the Tigers, and the Rangers over the Mariners) …
Rangers (7-10)
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Elvis Andrus, SS
Lance Berkman, DH
Adrian Beltre, 3B
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Nelson Cruz, RF
David Murphy, LF
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Leonys Martin, CF
SP: LH Derek Holland (1-1, 1.64 ERA)
Angels (7-10)
Peter Bourjos, CF
Mike Trout, LF
Albert Pujols, DH
Mark Trumbo, 1B
Josh Hamilton, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Brendan Harris, SS
Chris Iannetta, C
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: RH Joe Blanton (0-3, 8.59 ERA)
- It sounds like Mike Scioscia putting Hamilton in the No. 5 spot may be a platoon situation, at least for now, with Hamilton batting fifth against lefties and fourth against righties. The Rangers have back-to-back righties in this series (Alexi Ogando and Yu Darvish). “I think against a lefty, you get Trumb in there behind Albert right now until Josh finds his stride,” Scioscia said. “Against righties, we’ll put Josh back in there to see if he can stay in the middle and help Albert to take advantage of what Albert can do.”
- Hamilton (.176/.247/.324) has no issue with the move: “If I was hitting ninth, I’d be OK with it. I’d be happy not getting a hit ever again as long as we’re winning. I’m that guy.”
- Erick Aybar (left heel) ran today for the first time and is eying a return to the lineup by Thursday’s series opener against the Mariners, the first day he’s eligible to come off the DL. … Ryan Madson was scheduled to throw off flat ground on Monday and Scioscia said he’s slated to throw in another sim game before the end of this homestand. … Alberto Callaspo (right calf) continues to hit and take grounders, but still isn’t running. He’s thinking he can be back by the end of the week.
– Alden
Game 15: Angels-Twins …
UPDATE, 6:55 P.M. CT: So much for that. Game has been postponed …
——-
Lo and behold, they might actually get this game in! Forecasts previously called for a 100-percent chance — yes, 100 percent — of precipitation. But as of 5:45 p.m. CT, nothing had come down — though it’s awfully cold — and now they’re saying the Angels and Twins may be able to get this game in. Five innings, at least.
Angels (4-10)
J.B. Shuck, LF
Mike Trout, CF
Albert Pujols, DH
Josh Hamilton, RF
Mark Trumbo, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Chris Iannetta, C
Brendan Harris, SS
Luis Jimenez, 3B
SP: RH Tommy Hanson (1-1, 6.55 ERA)
Twins (6-7)
Brian Dozier, 2B
Joe Mauer, DH
Josh Willingham, LF
Justin Morneau, 1B
Ryan Doumit, C
Trevor Plouffe, 3B
Oswaldo Arcia, RF
Aaron Hicks, CF
Pedro Florimon, SS
SP: RH Vance Worley (0-2, 10.50 ERA)
- Kevin Jepsen‘s MRI revealed the right-hander has a strained lat. He’ll be shut down for a week, then will be evaluated. The timeline on this type of injury is pretty scattered. It could be two weeks, it could be 10. He’ll have to complete all the hurdles individually — range of motion, activating the arm, throwing bullpens, etc.
- Mike Scioscia, on choosing Shuck over Peter Bourjos at the leadoff spot for the second time this season: “There’s some matchup things. Peter’s going to play a lot, but especially right now, looking for a leadoff, I think J.B. has a history of some on-base and can match up and give us a look on a given day. But I think we’re going to try to keep as much continuity as we can, but I think it’s a good day for J.B. to get in there and get some things going early in the game.”
- Outfielder Scott Cousins, designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been reassigned to Triple-A Salt Lake.
- Baseball Prospectus had an interesting article today, clocking Pujols home to first. Basically, he’s running slower than ever. He was at 5.11 seconds on the final out of last night’s game, and was between 4.5 and 4.7 seconds just two years earlier. Here’s what Scioscia said when asked if Pujols can regain his normal gait: “It’s definitely something we’re shooting for. But 38-degree weather and the grind of a season doesn’t mesh right now for where he needs to be. Some things he’s managed throughout his career, he’s managed to rebound and move better at times. But right now, he’s giving us 100 percent of what he has.”
– Alden
Alden Gonzalez
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